The development of various photochemical techniques to be used in the total synthesis of important natural products is in progress. These techniques include the syntheses of cyclohexenones, vicinal aldehyde-acetic acid groups, and delta-lactones among others. Present work is particularly involved in the development of optically photochemical addends so that truly chiral syntheses can be performed. Natural products currently in progress include elemol, grandisol, bifurcarenone, estrone, and genipic acid.